My girlfriend has one of these, ethernet-connected to her router and thus available on her home network. However, in order for any computer, Windows or Mac (what about linux?) to access it, it is necessary (aside from any hacky-workarounds that may possibly exist) to install the Iomega Home Storage Manager. This makes volume(s) offered by the NAS appear, on the Mac in Finder under SHARED, or on a Windows machine as additional drive letter(s).

I wondered at first about enabling the NAS as a Mac OS Time Machine (backup) disk. An iomega article I saw suggested that should be possible, for iomega firmware 2.0 and above. But the disk as it stands is NTFS-formatted – because when it was set up we had only Windows machines. Now that disk contains much material in that NTFS. I guess it might be possible to partrition the disk e.g. to keep the existing NTFS and add alongside it a HFS+ partition for Time Machine to use. But it’s guesswork that carries risks (of disruption/damage to existing contents). We want an easy geeking-minimal life, so maybe better to repurpose that NAS and get a purpose-made Apple Time Capsule instead. Either way, the evening wears on, so I’ll shelve that idea/investigation for now…

Personal Virtual Machine (PVM) (in use) for about seven years with retail boxed version of Windows XP.

VM has been moved from virtualization platform to virtualization platform over the years … the most recent incarnation … inside Hyper-V.

…nothing beats Windows Server 2008 R2. It comes with a top-notch virtualisation platform (Hyper-V), and added RemoteFX support with Service Pack 1. You can still use the desktop operating system for all your HTPC needs, and a single Server 2008 R2 Standard license allows you to run both a host copy and a single virtual instance of Server 2008 R2.

In my case, the host instance does little more than play movies on the projector via VLC. The virtual instance of Server runs my Plex media server, and aggregates my many storage devices into a single share using DFS.

Want a mobile “suitcase” editing system, something more (and more expandable) than a laptop but not too expensive. Primarily to be used for Adobe CS5.5 for media enhancement / editing / compositing etc.

Nearest I found was NextDimension’s range around $7000 I think (but just guesswork – could be way off – would need to get a quote). That would (if true) be around £4500 at current rates. Plus import… NextDimension call such machines “flextops” (Maybe they coined the term? Google searches on it mostly come up with them.)

Apart from the (mil/broadcast-lite but me-heavy) price, it might possibly be undesirably heavy to lug around much. If so (just guessing, not assuming), it would make more sense to go for a modular quick-setup system. So, starting to “think different” in this direction:

Standard tower, capable of taking new CUDA etc. graphics cards etc. as they emerge, but no need for more than say a couple of disks, maybe if SSD could even get away with just a single disk? (For system and media – inadvisable for traditional disks of course, what about for SSD’s? I have much to learn about SSD’s though).

“Laptop-Lite” to talk to it. With robust shuttered-stereoscopic HD monitor.

Gigabit network to NAS fast storage (SSD and/or RAID ?).

Maybe in that case it would be far more logical/affordable to use an existing laptop as a client working together with a luggable tower server, sufficiently light and robust for frequent dis/re -connection and travel. And remote access of course (no heavy data to be exchanged, assume that’s already sync’d). And some means to easily swap/sync applications and projects (data) between laptop and tower, giving the option to use just the (old) laptop on its own if needed. All such options are handy for the travelling dude (working on train, social visits etc.) who also occasionally has to do heavy processing. Then would just need a protective suitcase for the tower, plus another one for a decent monitor for grading etc.

I certainly won’t be spending anything just yet, but it’s good to have at least some kind of “radar”.

This is a problem I encountered some time ago, when I was running Boot Camp v3.1 on my MacBook Pro. Since then I upgraded to v3.2. I know there’s a v3.3 around but before upgrading I thought it worthwhile to see whether v3.2 had fixed that problem (especially since I couldn’t rule out the possibility of v3.3 reintroducing it). Only one thing to do: prevaricate test.

Next tried an alternative approach: run W7 as a Virtual Machine on Mac Os via Parallel. I have Parallels v6. Forum search revealed that there is no FW support in either v6 or v7, though the developers seem interested in knowing why people want it.

2GB GRm to W7 Desktop: ok

The reverse: ok.

Had to stop there due to other work – and a very full W7 disk.

The next workaround to consider is attaching a NAS. Ethernet bandwidths can be 1Gbps, hence more than FW800’s 0.8 Gbps, though I wonder if there could be any issues of lag / latency in this approach. I’ll do some research and put up another post about this idea.

From a file-browser, be it Windows Explorer or part of the File>Open feature of an application, go to [ Network > aComputer > aFolder ]

Tested by playing file in Windows Media Player and in Sony Vegas (video NLE). Worked fine. Latter added a [.sfk] sidecar-file to the RAID-folder.

Worked both for source on NTFS partition and for source on HFS+ partition, except the latter gave rise to prolonged “hourglass” delays before the file was accessed/linked, following which the video played smoothly.

What doesn’t work:

Unable to see Mac Book from Mac Pro.

Also, when MacPro is in Mac OS, MacBook W7 Windows Explorer > Network lists the MacPro as [MACPRO-2E4124] yet cannot connect to it, blaming a firewall (presumably the one on MacPro).

Here, I set up a home network. <<Actually this happened about a year ago but only just publishing it now>>. Already I have a small bunch of machines (of various ages) linked either physically (ethernet cable) or wirelessly (WiFi) to a WiFi router-modem onto ADSL. Currently these machines simply use that arrangeent for their own individual internet access. What I want to do is enable some resource-sharing, in particular onto a WiFi hub to be connected to a printer and a hard disk, but also to allow (temporary) access between machines for occasional ad hoc file transfers.

First, ensure all PCs have easily identifiable names and belong to the same Workgroup (the typical method is to leave this at default i.e. “WORKGROUP” but note that XP’s Network Wizard defaults instead to “MSHOME”).

Solution: re-run the Network Wizard on the Desktop, this time (unlike before), enable File & Printer Sharing. Now it worked fine.

Also the PCs were visible on a Mac.

Mac: Finder > Shared

Now to make the Mac share to the PCs:

Enable Windows Sharing on macintosh.

http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-6127492.html

Finally, looking at Windows 7 as a Virtual Machine under Parallels 5 on a Mac:

Its default WorkGroup name is WORKGROUP, hence it sees the other machines OK. And it can access their shared folders. But those machines cannot see its files. Solving this problem does not seem so trivial, so I will work on it later and post its solution separately.

Can use Wester Digital’s MyBook drive on a network featuring multiple OSs, such as Mac OS as well as Windows, provided one does not install MioNet (bundled with the drive). My instincts were right then (I did not install it).

In my case, the drive is formatted as NTFS, on a Mac it simply appears automatically in Finder then Mac OS is able to read it (Mac OS is able to read NTFS). In retrospect, maybe would have been better to format it as HFS+ since then Windows could use MacDrive to not only read but write to it. Meanwhile on Windows I found it necessary to run the “Discover” application bundled with MyBook, which configures the network drive mapping (to a drive letter).

Need to establish a better home network, e.g. so Parallels on my Mac can see my Windows laptop, so it can suck the XP out of it. Also want shared printer etc. (I have a node for that). Just a question of setting it all up…

Geographically separated team members of a Final Cut project can collaborate via iTheatre. Suppose an editor is discussing with a client via Apple’s iChat. Then the editor can play out of FCP straight into the iChat session. It’s in FCP: View > iChat Theatre Preview.

But iChat is only available for Macs. What if the client doesn’t have a Mac? I did some googling:

iChat is an Instant Messenger.

It is only available for Macs but it is compatible with AIM (AOL Instant Messenger), which is available for Windows.

” iChat is only available on OS X” [http://lifehacker.com/5088083/five-best-video-chat-applications]

.mac accounts are just AIM accounts. Enter your .mac username with @mac.com at the end while configuring an AIM account. [http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=458194]

Whatever is playing in your Viewer or Canvas window is sent via iChat to your remote viewer. [http://digitalcontentproducer.com/videoedsys/revfeat/apple_ichat_theater_preview_0827/index1.html]

But can the iChat Theatre option be used with Windows users?

This person believes it is not possible to interact with Windows users (I wonder if they know of the AIM option or whether it handles iTheatre) [http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/8/1065470]

“If your collaborators are on Windows and dont have access to a Mac, youre out of luck.” [http://digitalcontentproducer.com/videoedsys/revfeat/apple_ichat_theater_preview_0827/index1.html]

“for iChat Theater Preview to work, both the host and remote computers much be running Mac OS X version 10.5 Leopard or later. Both computers must have iChat accounts and the remote users account must be added to the host computers buddy list (more detail from Apple here). ” [http://digitalcontentproducer.com/videoedsys/revfeat/apple_ichat_theater_preview_0827/index1.html]

“I wish MSN Messenger was supported natively as hardly anyone I know in the UK uses AIM. I’ve only got 10 AIM buddies. I have to go through a Jabber server with an MSN transport to use it”

“I am same as the others. I use Adium as I have MSN and Google Talk friends mostly and very few on AIM. Sure I can use iChat fo Google Talk”

“It seems most of us are using Adium because iChat doesn’t connect to MSN and/or Yahoo Messenger.”

“Skype doesn’t intereact with any other software as far as I know but for internet-based phone video calls, it is the best because so many people use it and it is on Windows as well as Mac.”

[http://digg.com/apple/Adium_2_0_Coming_With_video_audio_support]

Adium is what Pidgin should be.

Adium is based on Pidgin’s libpurple (libgaim), which is already used in Pidgin on all three platforms.

Adium is the Cocoa client of libpurple. Pidgin is the GTK client, finch is the CLI client, etc… Same IM backend, multiple GUIs.

http://pressf1.pcworld.co.nz/showthread.php?t=86311

“AIM [http://products.aim.com] is about as close to iChat as you’re gonna get on Windows. That said, a better option would be to go with something more flexible like Pidgin. [http://www.pidgin.im]”

AIM

http://products.aim.com/

[http://digg.com/apple/Adium_2_0_Coming_With_video_audio_support]

If you’re using the AIM service, make sure you have port 5190 open on your router, NAT, firewall, cable modem, or DSL modem. You’ll need it open for incoming connections to send and outgoing connections to receive (yes, that is the right way round: the recipient connects to the sender).

Pidgin

Is open-source, has sometimes debatable deadlines and capabilities. Many consider Adium better, and it has been stated that they are both front-ends onto the same core.

[http://www.pidgin.im/about] “Pidgin is a chat program which lets you log in to accounts on multiple chat networks simultaneously. This means that you can be chatting with friends on MSN, talking to a friend on Google Talk, and sitting in a Yahoo chat room all at the same time. Pidgin runs on Windows, Linux, and other UNIX operating systems”

There are third-party plugins for other protocols such as Skype and Twitter.

But “VNC by default is not all that secure of a protocol and can open you up to attack by someone who is determined to gain access to your system. For this reason you should disable VNC by reversing the above steps when it is not needed” [http://www.wikihow.com/Setup-VNC-on-Mac-OS-X]

Back-up (Time Machine, requires exclusive use of a volume unless using TimeCapsule (or does that create multiple (machine-specific) volumes as partitions?)

Ideally would like to backup this and other stages permamently, but TimeMachine backups can get overwritten and need to install other apps to backup from OSX. Maybe a linux LiveCD block-copy (to a linux rather than Mac formatted disk, but that doesn’t matter)? )

” 3) Check your network card to make sure its configured correctly and working properly. Many times setting the network card to 10Mbps/Full Duplex will solve this issue. To do this, open Control Panel, System, Device Manager. Go to the properties of the Network card, click on the Advanced tab and find the Link Speed and Duplex section. Change it from Auto Detect to 10Mbps/Full Duplex.”